You likely remember the photoshoot in which Tyler Shields photographed Kathy Griffin holding a fake decapitated head of Donald Trump, which ignited quite the firestorm of controversy. In this interview, she sits down with Bill Maher to discuss her feelings on the fallout from the image.
The image resulted in severe career repercussions for Griffin as well as multiple investigations by the government. It also caused a great amount of debate about the decency and appropriateness of such an image, with many arguing that the image was within her First Amendment rights and others claiming that even so, it went too far. In the interview, Griffin is fairly clear about her position, calling the image "distasteful but not illegal." Both she and Maher seem to believe that the photo may have gone too far but that the fallout was excessive and the resources spent on investigating Griffin were a waste (for his part, Maher blames the photographer), saying that the controversy went on far too long after Griffin apologized. Of course, I wasn't on the set, and I can't tell you whose idea it actually was, but it's quite interesting to hear Griffin's perspective now almost a year after the photo was released.
Claims first amendment when it fits their narrative.
Too politically incorrect for you, snowflake?
"...but it's quite interesting to hear Griffin's perspective..." Not really.
Agreed. She's had many month to concoct whatever story she could use to shift blame to others. Typical Liberal. And yes, before you all start blasting me, I live in California and registered Dem, but I am furious at what is taking place now.
"Typical Liberal. And yes, before you all start blasting me, I live in California and registered Dem..."
Who's buying this? Your dog?
I'm trying to say that the current SJW's are far more anti- free speech and counter-productive than any alt-right theorist is. This constant divide by Trump is only making things extremely worse. And Trump, acting like a petulant child calling people he doesn't like names (or calls them a nickname) is only creating bigger problems. Just like the metto movement and this hate speech women are using to get their way only for a short time before it all backfires in their face. Just wait and see.
If she did that to the president of any other country and lived in that country, similar or worse punishment would have been done I'd bet.
At the very least, it was distasteful (doesn't matter who you did it to). If someone famous did it to her, I'm sure she'd be up in arms about it...
And blaming the photographer is ridiculous... I'll bet she came up with the idea and they just photographed it...
The problem isn't the photographer, or Kathy Griffin, it's the abuse of power from the government. If you look at the comments from Breitbart and Fox News, you'll see just as many horrific ideas being propagated about opposition politicians. They even go beyond the tastelessness of her image (which she is to blame for BTW, she was the celebrity, she had all of the power).
She committed no crime, but is treated as a criminal. That's the real issue. That should offend the people who carry the pocket-size Bill of Rights everywhere more than anything. I can only imagine the uproar if people were detained every time they took a flight for exercising their 2nd amendment rights.
When you're standing on the edge of a line, it can be difficult to see the difference a few inches make.
True. I didn't like it. I would not have shot it. Effigy is a pretty tried and true form of speech though. Google "Obama effigy" and see what I mean.
Oh, I know. I can't imagine how anyone would feel, seeing something like that with yourself as the subject.
Of course. That hasn't nothing to do with the point that the state is harrassing a tax payer for legal activity.
I guess I'm not particularly concerned with breaking laws so much as moral behavior. The consequences for one are nothing compared to the other.
If morality is something that keeps you up at night, I'm sure you've got much bigger concerns than Kathy Griffin.
Anyone, not concerned with the morality of their actions, has something to be concerned about but sadly doesn't realize it.
I don't care about Kathy Griffins troubles, relative to this incident, but hope the best for her.
BTW. I hadn't noticed your Golden before. We've had two. Great dogs! :-)
By that do you mean it's not so bad because look what people did to Obama effigies?
No. I was citing it as a precedent of protected speech that was equally offensive yet did not result in a government abuse of power.
The application of law has never been equal and is performed with a double-edged sword.
Maybe not, but it was designed to be. If the GOP is your preferred party, keep in mind they won't be in power forever if history is any indication. A lot of people think ownership of certain weapons to be immoral despite being legal.
Politics don't particularly interest me and I'm not sure I understand your point about gun ownership as it relates to this discussion.
Morality, despite what most people think, isn't subjective. If two individuals disagree about what is or isn't moral, at least one of them is wrong and possibly both.
Both controversial rights granted by the US Constitution with moral implications.
Oh. Now I understand. Morality is something you bring to a situation, not something inherent in it. Being human has moral implications.
{grabs popcorn}
:-)
I'm not convinced political affiliation makes that big a difference. Try to look beyond obvious distinctions to see subtle similarities. Just a thought.
I never brought up the morality of this. I never said I supported it. I simply said the greater concern to society should not be what a horrible comedian with no power abuses their position, it should be the state abuses its position. No one wants to seem to want to talk about that. Now we're all the way to abortion. This thread is now the placeholder for "Whataboutism" in the dictionary.
It's in the video.
She claims she was harassed by the Justice Department, put on a No-Fly list for a period of time and on an Interpol watch list causing her to be detained every time she flies.
Yes. She says it is.
My brother likes to fish. Depending on the species and circumstances, sometimes he'll use an electric motor to drag a lure behind the boat, hoping something will grab it. ;-)
:-)
That would assume a right and a wrong to begin with.
Which there is. No assumption required.
She wasn't arrested or fined. Give me a break. And by the way - threatening violence against the President is a crime.
Being detained in every airport is pretty much like getting arrested -- confinement, loss of agency for a period of time, etc... She did not threaten violence. If she had, she could've been prosecuted. She wasn't, because she didn't do that. No different than the Obama lynching effigies that were deemed protected speech. I didn't like those either, but they were legal and should not constitute harassment from the state. Social repercussions, by all means.
What??? The problem is the abuse of power from the government??? No the problem is she made a completely disgusting image of the leader of a country. I don't care if you don't like him, there are more appropriate ways to go about making changes. Stop trying to shift the blame.
No.
Exactly. She powered up the support base of the person she is speaking out against. He would be nothing without his base and she chose a really poor way to voice her opinion. It didn't create any change or momentum for her argument and the fallout distracted from her message because most people thought it went too far.
She certainly didn't deserve the level of repercussion she received but she knew full well what she was doing. For Bill Maher to blame the photographer is ridiculous. She has every right to back away from the shoot and she chose not to. In fact she jokes about how much trouble they're going to get into in this bts video. http://www.tmz.com/2017/05/30/kathy-griffin-beheads-donald-trump-photo-t...
She's a disgrace. It's always everyone else's fault but hers.
Yes, this is freedom of speech.
And it is also true if this happened to the other side, they will not uphold first amendment principal. There no new that every one of these totalitarians has a perfect Gulag in their heart.
Blaming the photographer just made me even more disgusted with her, otherwise, she is at least honest about it.
Just to clarify, Maher blamed the photographer (see 1:50), though she didn’t protest his assertion.
The comments...
Fascism anyone? Ah. I see that's quite a lot of you. Enjoy.
Maybe you could all wear the same shirt, or maybe a hat.
You can certainly disagree with some of the comments but "fascism"? Not really. Look it up.
"An authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization."
Hmmmm.
Authoritarian:
"Favoring or enforcing strict obedience to authority at the expense of personal freedom."
Nationalistic:
"Having or expressing strong identification with one's own nation and vigorous support for its interests, *especially to the exclusion or detriment of the interests of other nations.*"
Hmm. That doesn't sound much like the current administration. It's definitely not the right-wing of the Republican party. It's more interested in personal freedom than any of the past Democrat led administrations. And, while it is "America First", it's nothing like "to the exclusion or detriment of the interests of other nations."
It's really not political if you think about it. At the end of the day, we all live with the consequences of the decisions we make. Period. Nobody forces us to do things (outside of abusive or held at gunpoint) situations. Griffin threw it out there....and it fell flat with many. That's all. Now she lives with it. A person decides to quit high school....10 years later they are working behind the counter at a truck stop. No harm done...that was the outcome of the decision that person made. Yes...even at a young age....consequences of decisions stay with you. Smoked for 30 years...have lung cancer?...Guess who made the decision to smoke in the first place? I have lived with every bad and good decision I have made thru the years. Griffin is no different or better than you or me.
All though risk taking can produce major change for the good (all the freedoms we enjoy...somebody had to take big risk) Risk taking comes with consequences as well........walk the tightrope enough.....you may fall someday.
The irony is that so many of the people who vehemently objected to the image are the same people who need a stockpile of firearms because they'll be required to kill public servants.
The irony is that so many of the people who vehemently objected to the image are the same people who need a stockpile of firearms because they'll be required to kill public servants.